A further addendum to my post of yesterday about distasteful terms, would be the use of the phrase, "frog in my throat". Whilst I admit that it is not in the same league as "that word" or diarrhea, it still conjurs up images that I don't need. Namely that of something green and slimy in someone's throat.



And that's exactly because, when someone tells you that they have a frog in their throat, they do indeed have a green and slimy object in their throat: a big glob of mucus. Well, great. Thanks for that mental picture. What do you have lined up for me next? A slug in your ear? An eel in your bowels?

So, a request for you all. Less of the imagery please and more drinking of water. Properly hydrate your body; be frog free.

More important than my bodily function\terminology hang-ups, I have to warn you of a possible Muslim fundamentalist "scam" (for want of a better word). I received the following e-mail earlier today from a humanist website:

"Hello, I Live in Quetta, Pakistan. I am male. I am 31 years old. I live in Quetta, Pakistan so I can’t publish my name. Whatever is happening in our Country? Everyone is very much aware from it. We are very sad and worried of this worst situation in our country. My heart is crying with blood tears.
I am a Secular and Modern Thought person. I born into in an orthodox Muslim religious family, but as I became mature and I started studies of secular and non believers writers my thoughts changed and now I believe that religion is creating lots of problems in our society.
I believe that religion must be separate from state affairs and equal opportunities must be provided to everyone without any discriminate of caste, colour, blood and religion.
I think our big problem is this, that our society is deeply involved in religion. Also they are not adopting new and modern approaches.
You cannot imagine that how much it is difficult to talk about Secularism and modern democratic ideas and thoughts in a society like we live in it. We paid a great price for talking about secularism in our Country. People boycott us, socially, economically and every type of relations they have cut from us. But to be honestly we will not stop for struggling of a Secular and modern democratic society in our country. Religion must be separate from state affairs. We believe that only and only secular and modern thoughts and approaches can bring peace, stability, prosperity and happiness in our country and in the world also.
We need help and guidance from people like you. You don’t know how much difficulties and problems we are facing in this fully religious type of country where we live. It is not only our duty to bring Secular and modern, democratic and human thoughts and ideas in Pakistan but it’s your duty also to help us and guide us in this noble mission.
I hope that I will hear soon from you with positive response."

Now, call me a skeptic (please do, I'd love it :0) but this sounds like a massive set-up. How about this for a theory - a fundamentalist (with the emphasis on 'mentalist') Muslim organisation in Pakistan decides to send out e-mails to humanist, secular, liberal, human rights organisations in the UK. These e-mails purport to be from a likeminded comrade who is currently evolving their forward thinking secular philosophy whilst living, trapped and in fear for their life, in a dangerously oppressive theocratic state. The bleeding heart liberal types amongst us (me) respond to the new "pen-pal" and strike up correspondence. The "pen-pal" then passes my address to some UK based terror cell and I get a special "parcel with a bang" that either blinds me or takes all my fingers off. This gets reported in the national press and people think twice about meddling in the affairs of the extremist state.

I've already put myself off....